Blueberry plant called ‘Abundance’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct southern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) variety. Its novelty lies in the following unique combination of features:
         1. Has a low chilling requirement.   2. Produces a vigorous, upright bush.   3. Produces large, medium-blue berries with a small dry picking scar and high firmness.   4. Is capable of high yields of berries that ripen before May 20 in northeast Florida.

Latin name of the genus and species: Vaccinium corymbosum L.

Variety denomination: ‘Abundance’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Southern highbush blueberries are a relatively new type of cultivatedblueberry. The cultivated varieties of southern highbush were developedby lowering the chilling requirement of northern highbush blueberryvarieties, which were domesticated during the early 1900s fromhigh-chill forms of Vaccinium corymbosum from Michigan and New Jersey. Anative Florida blueberry species, Vaccinium darrowi, provided thelow-chill genes needed to produce southern highbush blueberry. Southernhighbush blueberries can be cultivated in areas with mild winters, wherewarm temperatures in late winter and early spring permit flowering andripening early in the season. Southern highbush and northern highbushblueberry varieties are complementary; together they provide blueberriesfor the fresh market from April 1 to September 15 in the northernhemisphere and from October 1 to March 15 in the southern hemisphere.

To be commercially useful, southern highbush blueberry varieties requirefavorable combinations of numerous plant and berry characteristics.Plant characteristics include high vigor, low chilling requirement, highyield potential, and the ability to tolerate a dozen or more potentiallyserious diseases that thrive in hot, wet areas. Desirable berryqualities include large size, light blue color, and dry picking scar,along with good firmness, texture, and flavor.

‘Abundance’ came from a long-term breeding program at the University ofFlorida in which recurrent selection is being used to bring together asmany desirable characteristics as possible in a series of varieties thatare adapted to various parts of the southeastern United States.‘Abundance’ came from a cross between FL93-70 (unpatented) and FL90-4(unpatented), which was made in a greenhouse in Gainsville, Fla. inMarch 1993. The seedling was first fruited in a high-density nursery inGainesville in April 1995. Plants were propagated from softwood cuttingsand a 15-plant plot was established in a commercial blueberry plantingat Windsor, Fla. (near Gainsville) in January 1999. The clone wasrepropagated and several hundred plants were planted in Archer, Fla. inJanuary 2001. These plants were observed each year during fruitingseason. The plants appear uniform in all characteristics, and the cloneappears to have a combination of characteristics that would make it avaluable commercial cultivar.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Abundance’ is a new southern highbush blueberry variety that has thefollowing unique combination of characteristics that set it apart fromother blueberry cultivars:

-   -   a. Produces a large, vigorous bush with a high yield capacity.    -   b. Produces a large berry, averaging 3.1 g per berry at the        start of the season on vigorous plants.    -   c. Has berry color, scar, firmness, and flavor that are suitable        for commercial production of bluberries for the fresh and frozen        market.    -   d. Has a chilling requirement of about 300 hours below 7° C. per        winter.    -   e. Ripens most of its fruit between April 20 and May 15 in        northeast Florida.    -   f. ‘Abundance’ differs from its parents in many details as would        be expected from a seedling from a cross between two highly        heterozygous clones. Compared to parent FL93-70, the berry of        ‘Abundance’ is lighter blue in color and has a better picking        scar. Compared to parent FL90-4, which is rather short in        stature and rounded in form, ‘Abundance’ is much more vigorous        and upright in growth habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The color chart used in this specification is “The Pantone Book ofColor”, by Leatrice Eiseman and Lawrence Herbert. 1990. Harry N. Abrams,Inc., Publishers, N.Y. Where colors in the drawings differ from thePantone color designations in the verbal descriptions, the Pantone colordesignations are the more accurate.

FIG. 1 shows flower clusters of ‘Abundance’ during February on youngplants that were maintained evergreen in a greenhouse. This environmentelongates the peduncles compared to what would be seen on field-grownplants that have been chilled before flowering. The white corollas andurceolate flowers are typical.

FIG. 2 shows a 4-year-old plant of Abundance in early May. The plant isabout 2.5 m tall. The dense canopy and large fruit-bearing surface arecharacteristic.

FIG. 3 shows at close range the long fruiting branches on a field-grownplant in late April. The dark green leaves and frosty-blue berries aretypical.

FIG. 4 shows, at close range, the mature berries. In the column to theright, the small to medium-size picking scar can be seen. In the twocolumns to the left, the calyx lobes, which sometimes take the form of astar, can be seen.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Market Class

‘Abundance’ produces highbush blueberries suitable for both the freshand processed fruit markets.

Bush

Plant charateristics were measured on 4-year-old plants in a commercialblueberry planting at Windsor in northeast Florida. The field had beenirrigated, pruned, and managed in a way typical for commercial blueberryfields in the area.

-   Plant height: 2.5 m.-   Canopy diameter measured at the widest part: 1.4 m.-   Plant vigor: Very high.-   Growth habit: Upright, with canes erect and sprouting from a narrow    base.-   Flower bud density (number): Very high.-   Twigginess: Medium.-   Tendency to remain evergreen in winter: Medium to low.    Truck and Branches-   Suckering tendency: Medium; 12 to 15 major canes produced from a    base 30 cm across.-   Surface texture of strong, 6-month old stems observed August 18:    Smooth.-   Surface texture of 1-year-old wood observed August 18: Smooth,    becoming rough due to vertical fissures filled with rough, corky    bark.-   Surface texture of 3-year-old and older wood surface: Rough, but    becoming smoother in large canes over 3 years old.-   Color of vigorous, 6-month-old shoots on August 18: ‘Beechnut’    (Pantone 14-0425).-   Color of 1-year-old bark: ‘Copper’ (Pantone 16-1325).-   Color of 3-year-old rough-textured canes: ‘Oyster white’ (Pantone    13-1007).-   Internode length on strong, upright shoots measured August 18: 17    mm.    Leaves-   Leaf length including petiole, from tip of petiole to end of blade:    Mean=66 mm.-   Leaf width, widest point: 33 mm.-   Leaf shape: Oval. Midrib terminates in a dew tip, about 0.5 mm long,    visible under 15 X microscope.-   Leaf margin: Minutely serrate.-   Color of upper surface of leaves: ‘Grasshopper’ (Pantone 18-0332).-   Color of lower surface of leaves: ‘Sage’ (Pantone 16-0421).-   Pubescence, upper surface of leaves: Numerous short, white, curved    hairs on the midrib and major veins.-   Pubescence, lower surface of leaves: Numerous short, white, curved    hairs on the midrib and major veins.-   Pubescence, leaf margins: A few short, white hairs along margin.    Round, sessile glands along the margin of the leaf, at positions    corresponding to invaginations of the serrate leaf margin.-   Relative time of leafing and flowering in spring: Flower buds and    leaf buds sprout at about the same time.    Flowers-   Flower arrangement: Flowers are arranged alternately along a short,    leafless, deciduous branch.-   Flower fragrance: Light honeysuckle fragrance if newly opened    flowers are harvested and stored in a closed container for 15    minutes.-   Pedicel length at time of anthesis: 4 mm.-   Peduncle length at time of anthesis: Variable. Averages 11 mm.-   Petals: Fused into a corolla tube with 5 lobes.-   Pollen staining: Approximately 99% of the pollen grains stain with    acetocarmine dye, indicating that a high percentage of the pollen    grains are well formed, starch filled, and potentially viable.-   Pollen abundance: Dried flowers shed pollen in great abundance.-   Pollen color: ‘Golden rod’, Pantone 14-0951.-   Flower type: Perfect, ovary inferior, petals fused into a corolla    tube, the 10 stamens inserted at the base of the corolla tube.-   Flower length from pedicel attachment point to corolla tip: 12 mm.-   Length of corolla tube: 9 mm.-   Style length from top of ovary to stigma tip: 10 mm.-   Calyx diameter at anthesis from tip of one lobe to tip of the    opposite lobe: 6 mm.-   Diameter of corolla tube at widest point: 8 mm.-   Corolla aperture diameter: 4 mm.-   Corolla surface texture: Smooth.-   Flower shape: Urceolate.-   Corolla color at anthesis: White — the color of the unprinted spaces    in the Pantone Book of Color.-   Style color at anthesis: ‘Bright chartreuse’, Pantone 14-0445.-   Pedicel and peduncle color: ‘Apple green’, Pantone 15-0543.-   Flowering period: Average date when first 50% of the flowers open at    Gainsville, Fla. is February 18. This compares with the following    dates for some other varieties: ‘Emerald’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.    12,165): February 20; ‘Jewel’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,807): February    20; Millenia (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,816): February 19; Star (U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 10,675): March 2.-   Flower cluster (tight, medium, or open): Medium.-   Average number of flowers per cluster: 4.-   Location of tip of stigma relative to the lip of the corolla: Tip of    the stigma extends equally far as the tips of the corolla lobes.-   Distance between the stigma tip and the part of the anther pore    nearest the stigma tip: 2.4 mm.    Berry-   Mean date of first commercial harvest (25% of berries ripe): April    30 at Windsor, Fla.-   Mean date of last harvest: May 20 at Windsor, Fla.-   Diameter of calyx aperture on mature berry: 6.6 mm.-   Calyx lobes on mature berry: Small and inconspicuous.-   Berry cluster: (tight, medium, or loose): Loose.-   Pedicel length on ripe berry: 6.7 mm.-   Peduncle length at the time berries are ripe: Mean 10.9 mm but    highly variable.-   Number of berries per cluster: Mostly 5 to 6.-   Detachment force for ripe berry: Medium. Ripe berries can be    harvested rapidly by hand.-   Berry weight: Means 3.1 g per berry for first part of crop on    vigorous, well-pruned plants.-   Berry height: 14.3 mm.-   Berry width: 18.1 mm.-   Color of the surface of the mature berry on the plant: ‘Vapor blue’    (Pantone 14-4203).-   Color of the surface of the mature berry after harvest and packing:    ‘Steel gray’ (Pantone 18-4005).-   Color of the surface of the mature berry after polishing: Shiny    black.-   Berry surface wax: Medium in amount and medium in persistence when    the berry is handled.-   Mature berry internal flesh color: ‘Oyster white’ (Pantone 13-1007).-   Pedicel scar: Small and dry. A few skin tears if berries are not    harvested promptly at maturity.-   Berry firmness: High.-   Berry flavor: Excellent; sweet and slightly acid.-   Berry texture: Good; small seeds and thin skins.-   Color of dried seeds: ‘Brown sugar’ (Pantone 17-1134).-   Weight of well-developed seeds: 0.66 mg.-   Length of well-developed seeds: 1.5 mm.-   Width of well-developed seeds: 0.9 mm.    Physiological Characteristics-   Chilling requirement: About 300 hours per winter below 7° C.-   Cold hardiness: Flowers and fruit hardy to −3° C. The plant, during    winter dormancy, is hardy to −15° C.-   Productivity: Because of its high vigor, large bush size, and    prolific flower bud formation, ‘Abundance’ is capable of high    yields. Yields on 5-year-old plants at Windsor, Fla. have averaged 5    to 7 pounds of fruit per plant per year.-   Ease of propagation: ‘Abundance’ is easy to propagate from softwood    cuttings. Several thousand plants have been asexually propagated in    Gainsville, Fla. by this method, and all appear to reproduce the    variety exactly.    Diseases, Insects, Mites-   Phytophthora root rot: Resistance to this disease appears to be    about average for southern highbush blueberry varieties. ‘Abundance’    should only be planted on well-drained soils.-   Stem blight (Botryosphaeria dothidia): Resistance appears to be    average for southern highbush blueberry varieties.-   Cane canker (Botryosphaeria corticis): Plants appear to have good    resistance to common races.-   Fungal leaf spots (various pathogens): Appears to be about average    for southern highbush varieties. Fungicidal sprays will be required    in commercial plantings in humid climates to maximize yields.-   Overall survival in the field: Medium to high.

1. A new and distinct southern highbush blueberry plant, substantiallyas illustrated and described, characterized by having a vigorous, highlyproductive bush, a large, high-quality berry, and a low chillingrequirement.